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The Do-Gooder Element of Hip Hop

Last week we profiled rock n' roll-related nonprofit organizations. Now, we bring you another wildly popular genre of music...hip hop! Hip hop—its basic elements being DJing, rapping, breakdancing, and graffiti—has long been associated with youth struggles for social justice in urban areas.


Photo by MIKELIKEBIKE on Flickr Many current hip hop initiatives demonstrate creative approaches to youth development. The Boston-based organization Project HIP-HOP helps teens build leadership skills through jobs, community organizing, and becoming experts on hip hop culture. Hip Hop 4 Life in New York City uses hip hop culture to educate young people about important health issues, including nutrition, stress management, safe sex, and exercise. Words Beats & Life Inc., a Washington-D.C.-based nonprofit, hosts an annual hip hop chess tournament for anyone aged 5 and up.

Hip hop has made its way into the nonprofit sector in various other ways, too. One organization, African Hip Hop Research Project, researches and supports several initiatives throughout Africa that empower youth through hip hop. Another project, Hip Hop 4 Habitat, has created an innovative partnership with a well-known organization: "Members of the Detroit Hip Hop Community are putting down their mics and picking up hammers to fund and build a house for a family in need thanks to a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Detroit." And a start-up effort in New York City, the National Hip-Hop Museum and Hall of Fame, aims to open a museum to celebrate, honor, and educate the public about the history of hip hop.

Find volunteer opportunities from these organizations and others by searching for "hip hop" on Idealist.